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Netflix Will Raise Prices

Written by: Rocco Pendola04/05/13 - 1:15 PM EDT

Tickers in this article:
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Barring a buyout of epic proportion or another desperate cash infusion or three, Netflix will raise prices. It's not a matter of if or even when. In some fashion, it will happen. It's simply a question of how.

By the way, before you read my rationale on this, you have to check out this excellent CNBC video with Scott Wapner where Wedbush's Michael Pachter exposes Netflix's original programming charade for the dog and pony show it is:

That's typical Hastings. And it ties back to the issue of the company's one-tier subscription pricing scheme. Hastings absolutely knows this must change for Netflix to accomplish something greater than an inconsistent level of subsistence.

Outside of a buyout or another cash raise, Netflix needs more revenue. Of course, it could devise another stream -- maybe advertising or e-commerce -- but it doesn't need more revenue simply because it requires more cash.

Let's make sense out of that statement . . .

Yes, Netflix needs cash because it continues to bleed it. No doubt. But, even if the company was in a healthy financial position, it will still need to charge higher prices. At least if it wants to attract premium programming.

This is why Netflix took a flyer on original programming: It has absolutely no leverage in its relationships with content providers -- they can pull programming or stop licensing whenever they want to in most cases. It needs to produce its own stuff to fill streaming inventory.

But let's suspend reality and put that elephant in the room aside. Let's assume we live in a fairy tale world where the old guard media will license Netflix more and more and better and better content. To make this happen, Netflix must shed the very real image that it dilutes premium programming by giving it away, all you can eat, for $8 a month.